That'll be the end on't."
She went away, and Clerk Gum wished he could denounce _her_ to the
police. Mirrable laughed again; and Mrs. Gum, cowardly and timid, fell
back in her chair as one seized with ague.
Beyond giving an occasional dole to Mrs. Jones for her children--and
to tell the truth, she clothed them all, or they would have gone in
rags--Mirrable had shaken her cousin off long ago: which of course did
not tend to soothe the naturally jealous spirit of Mrs. Jones. At
Hartledon House she was not welcomed, and could not go there; but she
watched for the visits of Mirrable at the clerk's, and was certain to
intrude on those occasions.
"I'll find it out!" she repeated to herself, as she went storming through
the garden-gate; "I'll find it out. And as to that poacher, he'd better
bring his black face near mine again!"
CHAPTER VIII.
THE WAGER BOATS.
Tuesday morning rose, bright and propitious: a contrast to the two
previous days arranged for the boat-race. All was pleasure, bustle,
excitement at Hartledon: but the coolness that had arisen between the
brothers was noticed by some of the guests. Neither of them was disposed
to take the first step towards reconciliation: and, indeed, a little
incident that occurred that morning led to another ill word between
them. An account that had been standing for more than two years was sent
in to Lord Hartledon's steward; it was for some harness, a saddle, a
silver-mounted whip, and a few trifles of that sort, supplied by a small
tradesman in the village.
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